Expression of Dlk1 gene in myelodysplastic syndrome determined by microarray, and its effects on leukemia cells.

Delta-like-1 (Dlk1, also Pref-1), a transmembrane and secreted protein, is a member of the epidermal growth factor-like family, homologous to Notch/Delta/Serrate. We found that the expression of Dlk1 was up-regulated in CD34+ cells from patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) by analyzing the gene expression profiles determined by microarray. The expression levels of Dlk1 mRNA frequently observed higher in the bone marrow mononuclear cells of MDS patients was confirmed by real-time RT-PCR. Forced expression of Dlk1 in transfected K562 cells enhanced proliferation, affected apoptosis induced by As2O3, and also influenced cell cycle induced by 12-O-tetra decanoylphorbol-acetate (TPA). By using the same experimental system we found that forced expression of Dlk1 increased the mRNA levels of HES1. It also inhibited p38 phosphorylation in transfected K562 cells treated with TPA. These results warrant further investigation of the role of Dlk1 in abnormal hematopoiesis in MDS.